Nyssa Tree Named &#39;Cherry Pie&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Nyssa  tree named ‘Cherry Pie’, characterized by its pyramidal tree form with broad branch angles; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches providing a full and densely foliated appearance; large glossy medium green-colored leaves that become bright red in color during the autumn; autumn leaf color is uniformly consistent; vaguely ridged and furrowed bark; and production of only male flowers.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Nyssa sylvatica

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘CHERRY PIE’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nyssatree, botanically known as Nyssa sylvatica, commercially referred to asUpland Tupelo or Black Gum and hereinafter referred to by the name‘Cherry Pie’.

The new Nyssa tree is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Hillsboro County, Georgia and Franklin County,Tennessee. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Nyssatrees appropriate for urban landscapes that have an upright pyramidaltree form, vigorous growth habit and uniformly consistent bright redautumn leaf color.

The new Nyssa tree originated from an open-pollination of an unnamedselection of Nyssa sylvatica, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with an unknown selection of Nyssa sylvatica as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Nyssa tree was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single plant from within the progeny of the statedopen-pollination in a controlled environment in Pulaski County, Georgiain October, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Nyssa tree by chip budding in acontrolled environment in Franklin County, Tennessee has shown that theunique features of this new Nyssa tree are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Trees of the new Nyssa have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhatwith variations in environmental conditions such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Cherry Pie’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Cherry Pie’ as a new and distinct Nyssa tree:

1. Pyramidal tree form with broad branch angles.

2. Vigorous growth habit.

3. Freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches providing afull and densely foliated appearance.

4. Large glossy medium green-colored leaves that become bright red incolor during the autumn; autumn leaf color is uniformly consistent.

5. Vaguely ridged and furrowed bark.

6. Male flowers are only present on trees of the new Nyssa.

Trees of the new Nyssa can be compared to trees of the female parentselection. Trees of the new Nyssa differ primarily from trees of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

1. Trees of the new Nyssa exhibit bright red-colored leaves in theautumn whereas trees of the female parent selection do not exhibitred-colored leaves in the autumn.

2. Trees of the new Nyssa only produce male flower whereas trees of thefemale parent selection only produce female flowers.

Trees of the new Nyssa can also be compared to trees of Nyssa sylvatica‘NSUHH’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,951. Trees of the new Nyssaand ‘NSUHH’ differ primarily in the following characteristics:

1. Trees of the new Nyssa have broad branch angles and are pyramidal inform whereas trees of ‘NSUHH’ have narrow branch angles and are upsweptpyramidal (gable) in form.

2. Trees of the new Nyssa are more vigorous than trees of ‘NSUHH’.

3 Trees of the new Nyssa are more freely branching than trees of‘NSUHH’.

4. Leaves of trees of the new Nyssa are longer and broader than leavesof trees of ‘NSUHH’.

5. During the summer, leaves of trees of the new Nyssa are lighter greenin color than leaves of trees of ‘NSUHH’.

6. During the autumn, leaves of trees of the new Nyssa are brighter redin color than leaves of trees of ‘NSUHH’; in addition, trees of the newNyssa are more uniformly red in color than plants of ‘NSUHH’ whichexhibit both red and green-colored leaves during the autumn.

7. Trees of the new Nyssa and ‘NSUHH’ differ in bark texture as trees ofthe new Nyssa have vaguely ridged and furrowed bark whereas trees of‘NSUHH’ have smooth and fissured bark.

8. Trees of the new Nyssa flower about two to three weeks earlier thantrees of ‘NSUHH’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Nyssa tree showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Nyssa tree. The photograph on the first sheet is a sideperspective view of a typical ten-year old tree of ‘Cherry Pie’ grownduring the summer in an outdoor nursery. The photographs on the secondsheet are side perspective views of typical six-year old trees of‘Cherry Pie’(left) and ‘NSUHH’ (right) grown during the winter in anoutdoor nursery showing the differences in branch angle orientation andoverall tree form. The photographs on the third sheet are sideperspective views of typical six-year old trees of ‘Cherry Pie’ (left)and ‘NSUHH’ (right) grown during the autumn in an outdoor nurseryshowing the differences in leaf color and uniformity of autumn leafcolor. The photograph on the fourth sheet is a close-up view of theupper surfaces of typical leaves of ‘Cherry Pie’ (upper left) and‘NSUHH’ (bottom right) grown during the summer in an outdoor nurseryshowing the differences in leaf size, shape and color. The photographson the fifth sheet are close-up views of the trunk of typical six-yearold trees of ‘Cherry Pie’ (left) and ‘NSUHH’ (right) grown during thewinter in an outdoor nursery showing the differences in bark texture.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe trees grown in an outdoor nursery in Pulaski County,Georgia and under cultural practices typical of commercial Nyssa treeproduction. Trees used in the photographs were six and ten years old.Trees used for the following description were six years old. During theproduction of the trees, average day temperature was 24.5° C. andaverage night temperature was 1 1.1° C. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Nyssa sylvatica ‘Cherry Pie’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Nyssa            sylvatica, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Nyssa            sylvatica, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By chip budding the new Nyssa tree onto an unnamed            selection of Nyssa sylvatica understock.-   Tree description:    -   -   Tree form and growth habit.—Deciduous tree with broad            branching habit and pyramidal tree form; freely branching            habit with about 70 lateral branches developing per tree;            full and densely-foliated appearance; vigorous growth habit;            dioecious, only male flower initiation and development have            not been observed on trees of the new Nyssa.        -   Tree height.—About 5.03 meters.        -   Tree width (spread).—About 2.44 meters.        -   Trunk caliper.—About 10.8 cm.        -   Growth rate, height.—About 84 cm per year.        -   Growth rate, caliper.—About 1.8 cm per year.        -   Branch angle orientation.—Mid-tree canopy branches, about            62° from vertical.        -   Internode length.—About 3.2 cm on one-year old wood.        -   Lateral branch color.—Light reddish brown.        -   Immature bark texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Mature bark texture.—Woody; vaguely ridged and furrowed.        -   Mature bark color.—Close to N200C; inner exfoliated bark,            close to 156B to 156C.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 14.08 cm.        -   Width.—About 5.34 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Cuneate to acute.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; young            leaves, pubescent.        -   Luster, upper surface.—Glossy.        -   Luster, lower surface.—Somewhat glossy.        -   Color.—When developing, upper surface: Close to 144B. When            developing, lower surface: Close to 149D. Fully developed,            upper surface: Close to 137A to 137B; in the autumn, close            to 44A, 45A and 46A; venation, close to 146C. Fully            developed, lower surface: Close to 146B; in the autumn,            close to 50C to 50D; venation, close to 146D.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 2.9 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface: Close to            144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Dioecious; only male flowers            have been observed to develop; flowers simple and            inconspicuous; flowers arranged in oval to rounded racemes            with usually about ten to twelve flowers per raceme.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Nyssa begin            flowering in early to mid-April in Pulaski County, Georgia.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about ten days to            two weeks on the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 1.7 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 6 mm.        -   Flower length (depth).—About 3.5 mm.        -   Terminal flower buds.—Length: About 5.9 mm. Diameter: About            4.1 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 200A.        -   Lateral flower buds.—Length: About 4.4 mm. Diameter: About            2.9 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 200A.        -   Petals.—None observed.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About eight sepals            arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About            0.5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute; reflexing. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            145A. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm.            Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Slightly pubescent.            Color: Close to 144B to 144C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.            Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: Close to 144B to 144C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About eight to ten            per flower. Filament length: About 2 mm to 4 mm. Filament            color: Close to 154A to 154B. Anther length: About 1 mm.            Anther diameter: About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 154B to            154C. Pollen amount: About 32 grains per 1 mm2. Pollen            color: Close to 2C. Pistils: None observed, male flowers            only observed. Seeds and fruits: None observed, male flowers            only observed.-   Temperature tolerance: Trees of the new Nyssa have been observed to    tolerate high temperatures about 40.5° C. and low temperatures about    −18.9° C. when grown in USDA Hardiness Zone 6.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Trees of the new Nyssa have been not    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Nyssa    trees.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Nyssa tree named ‘Cherry Pie’ asillustrated and described.